NBA tip off is next week on Tuesday, 10/29 (hooray!!) and in honor of the brand new season, boutique Opening Ceremony conducted a Q&A with basketball mega-fan Panda Bear to discuss a litany of topics from the Lakers’ bummer 2012-13 season, who has the best fashion sense in the NBA (he says Allen Iverson; I assume he’s never see Amar’e Stoudemire or Carmelo Anthony out of uniform), and the best strategies for drafting a fantasy basketball team, among other things. Read a few choice quotes below.

What happened to the Lakers last season?
I’d guess it’s people not getting along and people not fitting into roles properly. I think the way teams fit together is super important—every guy has to feel good about what he’s doing and what he brings to the team. When there’s role harmony, the team becomes more than the sum of its parts. The Lakers last year were an example of role balance gone wrong. I’m sure they could have been great and who knows if the Rockets’ situation this year will be any better. In a lot of ways I kind of feel like Orlando was the ideal place for Dwight because he was THE GUY there.

Do you have any strategies/tips for anyone who’ll be drafting a team this upcoming season?
I don’t know that I’m in any position to give fantasy advice but I think I can say a team full of medium production guys is just as good as a top-heavy team. A good 50 or 60 percent of winning happens on draft night. If you draft smart, stay active, and have a little luck you should do alright. Also it’s much more fun when you have players on your fantasy team that you actually root for in the real game.

Do you think Andrea Bargnani is as bad as most Knicks fans do?
I’d say he makes a lot more than he should and he’s an uncomfortable fit on the team. The Knicks have options defensively (Shumpert, World Peace, Chandler) and could get creative to try and plug up the holes that Bargnani and Stoudamire will create. But Novak and a 2016 first round pick is a lot to give up for a guy who’s massively overpaid, has trouble staying healthy, and plays sieve-like defense. I’d assume Knicks fans are more upset about the trade than about Bargnani himself though.

Sometimes I think Rajon Rondo is depressed. Am I projecting?
Perhaps. But I think it’s safe to say he’s a highly emotional person and a highly sensitive basketball player.